I suspect our hen might be egg bound?- she last laid 2 days ago, it was very small, but intact. Today she is hunched over, fluffed up, and falling asleep. Having bought her inside, I have given her a warm bath for 20 mins, which meant this stringing shell could be gently removed. I cannot feel any swelling under her vent, and the vent area looks clean- neither red, swollen or any discharge coming out.

She is now sitting on a thick layer of bedding in a box with a hot water bottle submerged in the bedding, I tried to dry her after her bath but she got very agitated and kept falling over. So I have placed a towel over head body in her box in the porch.

Has anyone got any ideas or advice as to what else we can possibly do please?

Hi, it looks like what is called a "lash" - part of the tissue from the reproductive tract.If it is she should be ok. Try to get her eating and drinking, keep her warm and hopefully she will be a different bird in the morning.Good luck and let us know how she goes.regards, David

Hi Sharron, as you know I haven't got any more experience than you, so no advice I'm afraid - and as David has posted that's much better. I just wanted to offer some support, hope she's ok in the morning. Which of the girls is it ?

Thanks for the advise David, and to both you and Dawn for the support- does make me feel a little better.Its Tillie, the smallest, our Barbu D'Uccle. She has got worse as the day has gone on, so took her to the vets at 5ish. Thankfully he keeps chickens and gave her a thorough going over. She isn't egg bound, he reckoned it could well have been a lash as David says, (which I forgot to take), her crop is very hard, which he massaged. He could clearly see she wasn't well, so she had a painkiller injection and a Baytril injection. I have some more Baytril to administer over the next 5 days.

She has since been asleep in her fluffy towel on my lap, has had a big drink,and after further crop massage if seems much more squishy. Is now in her house with Millie her sister. So we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Dawn- I was thinking that too....maybe because its a rural area, and they specialize in farm animals, the vets come across more chickens. Having said that the vet receptionist/nurse was very keen to hear all about her breed, etc....

Anyway Tillie, has been pottering about with the other girls today, she isn't hunched up, not really doing alot, but she is drinking if not eating. Have just given her another syringe of Baytril, and some olive oil for to try and soften her crop.....then she had a few morsels of grated cheese as a treat which surprisingly she devoured?

Her crop is still very hard, but after a finve min massage feels more squidgy, so I'll keep doing that for a few days. To be honest, when we woke at 5am to go and check on her, we really didn't think she would have made it through the night- so its been a relief to see her pottering about the garden with her sisters!

Well that does sound like an improvement, so glad. I'm sure I've read on here recently that live yoghourt is good for crop problems and that they love it. Also that putting a bit of ribena in water, to make it pink, works a treat to get them to drink if they're reluctant.

I so sympathise with that horrible feeling when you go and check expecting to find a little body. Perhaps some would say it's silly, but I've certainly had bad nights and little sleep worrying what I'd find in the morning.

Dawn-thanku for jogging my memory re the yoghurt- i hadn't got any but did give them a probiotic yog drink, which they all loved. As for the ribena, have tried it before but mine seem to prefer the Nettex vitamin drops I put in the drink, they go mad for it.

Thankfully this morning our Tillie, is much much brighter, and her crop has reduced considerably. Still gave her a 5ml syringe of olive oil, and they have all just devoured a bowl of ready brek- it was a joy to see them gobbling it up- even Tillie.

I would like to mention about the syringing- I have read many times about how careful you have to be to do this, and I hoped I would never have to do it. After the vet showed me what was what, I have done it several times these past few days, with success and it is much easier than I expected. For us it is a 2man job, one holds the beak open,the other syringes. When the tongue relaxes on the bottom of the mouth, in the syringe goes to the back of the throat and down the hole above the tongue. I was so worried about it going in the right hole and not into the windpipe under the tongue.

Maybe we just have an exceptionally good girlie who likes taking her medicine, she seems to drink up the Baytril like she does her water......

So chuffed to see her up and about...... I also read on Google about giving them white maggots, which are supposed to be good for crop probs, maybe someone could advise please? But for now we have cancelled the trip to the fish shop, dont want live maggots chilling in my fridge unless absolutely necessary.....